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As chairman of the World Trade Organisation’s TRIPS organized Council, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador Dr Lansana Gberie, together with the membership of the WTO, has achieved what was hitherto widely considered within diplomatic and international trade circles as one of the most difficult, if not impossible goal of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference MC12 that took place in Geneva.
Years, months, and weeks of member states’ negotiations culminated in this week’s intensive meetings in Geneva.
At the WTO’s Council for Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights TRIPS Council, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva, Switzerland, Dr. Lansana Gberie, skilfully steered the negotiations and deliberations to successfully secure consensus on the draft outcome document of the TRIPS Council.
This achievement came about following several informal negotiations during which the proposal put forward by the Quad i.e., the European Union, India, South Africa, and the United States on how WTO Member States should handle the intellectual property aspects of COVID-19 emerged as the leading draft and received the support of Member States.
The proposal contained several initiatives led by WTO Director General, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The TRIPS Council’s 2021 drafted a proposal calls for a waiver of certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement regarding the prevention, containment, or treatment’ of COVID-19 and provides for the continued exemption of Least Developed Countries LDCs from TRIPS Agreement obligations.
Ambassador Dr Lansana Gberie’s dynamic leadership propelled efforts to finalise work on the draft text of the proposal on IP response to the pandemic. It was submitted in time Trade Ministers’ review and was unanimously adopted by the WTO’s Member States at MC12.
Other areas of success at the recently concluded MC12 were the unprecedented decisions on fisheries subsidies, WTO response to emergencies, waiver of certain requirements concerning compulsory licensing for COVID-19 vaccines, diversification of the production of COVID-19 vaccines and access for all, food safety and agriculture, and WTO reform.
The Conference, organized in a hybrid format with in person and online attendance was attended by 164 WTO Member States, from across the world to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system.
Under Ambassador Gberie’s astute leadership, Sierra Leone has received several commendations from the international community in Switzerland as the Ambassador is frequently seen as willing, able and competent to take leadership positions.
This experience speaks to and reinforces the competence of Ambassador Dr. Gberie and all Sierra Leone’s diplomats to be able to steer the work of the UN Security Council should Sierra Leone become successful in its bid for a non-permanent seat.
Ambassador Gberie assured the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation and member states of the 12th Ministerial Conference of his unflinching support at all times.
The MC12 was held from 12 to 17 June 2022. Initially scheduled to end on 15 June, the ministerial gathering was extended by two days to allow more time for negotiations and reaching agreements.
The next ministerial conference, MC13 will be held in December 2023. Cameroon and the United Arab Emirates have put forward their names to host MC13. This will be considered by Member States of the WTO for a decision in due course
